A seminar highlighting the ways entrepreneurial academics and students can turn their research into commercially viable results is to be held at the University of St Andrews later this month (Thursday 18 April 2002).

The Route to Commercialisation, part of a roadshow visiting all Scottish Universities, will offer around 100 staff and students the chance to hear from speakers from the Patent Office, Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise and Kornerstone, an intellectual property consultancy.

The event follows the University’s success in the Research Assessment Exercise 2001 in which it topped the Scottish league table.

Issues to be covered include the value of intellectual property ownership, the role of technology licensing and exploitation and the recently revised, and now integrated, support mechanisms available in Scotland to support knowledge transfer, technology development and enterprise.

Ewan Chirnside, Director of the University’s Research and Enterprise Services (RES) said, “The event compliments the role of Research and Enterprise Services by raising awareness of intellectual property issues and their value both to the University and to new start-up and spin-out businesses. The seminars will highlight the “joined-up” thinking behind both the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise’s support mechanisms for individual entrepreneurs and technology development. These schemes are aimed at the birthing of indigenous, Scottish-based companies through knowledge transfer from the University. It is crucial that staff and students are aware of both the Scottish Executive’s policies on, and the University’s engagement with regard to, knowledge transfer mechanisms, as well as the commercial and career benefits and risks that ensue.”

The event coincides with the University receiving grants from the University Challenge Fund (also awarded to the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen) and the Scottish Institute for Enterprise to support posts aimed at improving bid numbers and quality for funding currently available from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise, the University Challenge Fund and other sources. These funds, rather than being for “blue skies” research, are targeted at demand and market led, commercially applicable science and technology development.

ENDS

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email cg24@st-andrews.ac.uk Ref: commerc seminar/standrews/chg/9april2002